Drivers Out of Control Near Your Local School? Thank Simcha Felder and Senate Republicans

The streets around NYC schools would be safer this year if not for State Senate Republicans and Simcha Felder, who rejected legislation to double the number of school zones where Albany allows the city to place speed enforcement cameras.

Today was the first day of class for public school kids in NYC. The above photo, posted on the Make Queens Safer Twitter feed, shows kids and parents crammed onto the sidewalk outside P.S. 89 in Elmhurst.

P.S. 89 is just a few blocks from Elmhurst Hospital, whose catchment area includes some of the most dangerous streets for walking and biking in the city. The streets around P.S. 89 and other schools would be safer today if not for State Senate Republicans and Democrat Simcha Felder, who rejected legislation that would have doubled the number of school zones where Albany allows the city to place speed enforcement cameras.

The Assembly passed a speed camera bill, but the Senate did not hold a vote. Instead, Majority Leader John Flanagan, who was elected by voters in Suffolk County, allowed senators to kill the measure in secret, with no roll call. But no Senate Republicans put their names on the bill to expand the speed camera program. Streetsblog was made aware of Felder’s role by a Senate source with firsthand knowledge of how the bill died.

So streets around New York City schools will be a lot more dangerous than they should be this school year, and New Yorkers have Felder, Marty Golden, Andrew Lanza, and suburban and upstate Republicans to thank for it.

As a full grown adult I’d hate to do that crossing regularly, never mind if you’re a kid.

William Lawson

I cannot imagine what goes through the minds of these scumbags who oppose speed cameras, other than a strong empathy for people who speed. And that’s likely because they enjoy putting their foot to the floor too. Do these assholes have Wikipedia pages? This disgraceful part of their careers should be added to them.

DCStrangler

Public transportation is for the unwashed.

AMH

Traffic has been noticeably worse since yesterday, with rampant double-parking all around schools. It’s really unsafe.

Vooch

the only way for children to get to school is being driven in a SUV. It’s always been that way

/s

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

The State Senate bill to expand New York City’s speed camera program did not pass in part because of opposition from Brooklyn rep Simcha Felder, according to a Senate source familiar with the negotiations.

The largest union representing uniformed NYPD cops is the lone source of organized opposition to the expansion of speed cameras in New York City, and has spent lavishly on campaign contributions to the players in Albany who control the fate of the speed cam bill.